Tacoma: Plastic bags aren't the worst problem

I live by Jane Clark Park, and weekly I find empty plastic pop and water bottles on my parking strip and in the alley next to the park. I rarely see discarded plastic bags. I do see people carrying them when they walk their dogs; they use them for disposing the dog’s waste.

I personally use and reuse them in my home. I also recycle them regularly. They take up less room than paper bags. Plastic bags are reusable and are biodegradable, contrary to popular opinion. They are not causing much damage to wild animals.

It is rather sad that people carelessly throw trash into our streets and parks. They throw bottles, cans, cigarette butts, fast food wrappers, candy wrappers, etc. Why just take it out on plastic bags?

This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Tacoma: Plastic bags aren't the worst problem."